Time to shape legislation on Food Contact Materials
On 5 October 2022, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the upcoming revision of EU rules on food contact materials (FCM). FCMs are all articles that come into contact with food during its production, processing, storage, transport, preparation and serving.
The revision aims to enhance food safety while reducing the presence and use of hazardous chemicals. In line with the circular economy, the revision also aims to support innovation and sustainability by promoting safe reusable and recyclable solutions.
The public consultation, in the form of questionnaire, aims to better define what should be considered an FCM and/or an article subject to safety rules (e.g. fridge interior, feeding tubes for medical purposes, plastic storage containers not marked as suitable for food contact paper napkins, table cloths etc.).
The questionnaire will also gather feedback from stakeholder on whether the FCM legislation should address:
Allergens that may be present in FCMs
Physical safety of food contact materials
Hygiene and risks from bacteria and other microorganisms from the handling of FCM including reuse
Environmental concerns
The feedback received will allow the European Commission to understand if and when a risk-based approach should be applied to FCMs and which are the best tools to use. Sustainability aspects, and to which extent they should be applied to FCMs, are also addressed.
Deadline for contributions until 11 January 2022.
To access the public consultation, click here.
